[SXSW 2024] FAMILY -- Trippy Horror Film Is Nonsensical but Atmospheric

Review by Sean Boelman

In the horror genre, a good story is often just as important as being scary. However, there are some times when the atmosphere is so strong that it can carry a weak script. That’s the case with Benjamin Finkel’s Family, a genuinely unsettling film that only works if you overlook its glaring writing issues.

The movie follows a young girl whose well-intentioned prayers for her dying father become something much more sinister. To put it nicely, the plot is utter nonsense. A lot of things happen, and the film moves from point A to point B, but the motivations and arcs are illogical. But despite this, it’s a ton of fun to watch.

Trying to make sense of what the movie has to say is even more in vain. The themes are incredibly underdeveloped. In many ways, it feels like it’s trying to explore the concept of familial trauma a la Hereditary, but Wilson’s mother character isn’t developed enough for this to work. At other points, it seems like a more straightforward commentary on grief, and this angle simply isn’t interesting.

The character development isn’t much more intriguing. The protagonist has an ailing father, a (questionably) abusive mother, and a rabbi grandfather she turns to for guidance in the face of supernatural happenings — all archetypes that are thoroughly worn. Worse yet, the protagonist lacks much of a personality of her own.

Still, for as lackluster as his script can be, Finkel is one hell of a director. He manages to create a consistently engaging and often downright chilling atmosphere here. It’s a loud, in-your-face horror flick with a blaring score, aggressive imagery, and many jump scares. But in many ways, it’s effective at achieving what it sets out to do.

Much of the film’s success can also be attributed to supporting actress Ruth Wilson, who hams it up in all the right ways. Wilson takes the movie incredibly sincerely, making the performance all the more intimidating even though some of the things she does are deeply unserious. The rest of the small cast is fine, but this is almost entirely Wilson’s show.

The film is impressive visually, if not entirely original. A lot of the visual symbolism can be seen as a carbon copy of other movies that came before it, with Annihilation being the most obvious example. However, Elisha Christian’s cinematography and Olivia Peebles’s production design are very formally accomplished.

Family is a jumbled mess of a movie, and trying to figure out what’s happening or — more importantly — why is futile. Still, Benjamin Finkel does such a good job with the atmosphere, and Ruth Wilson’s performance is so incredible that the film works regardless.

Family screened at the 2024 SXSW Film Festival, which ran March 8-16 in Austin, TX.

​Rating: 3/5